Match Preview: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Ottawa Fury FC

Following a two-game road trip, the Tampa Bay Rowdies return home to take on Ottawa Fury FC for the first time at Al Lang Stadium. The Rowdies, who are currently fourth in the Combined Standings, played to a 1-1 draw against the NASL Spring Champion Minnesota United FC last Saturday, while on Sunday the Fury earned a 2-2 tie with the visiting Carolina RailHawks. This is only the third overall meeting between the two clubs with the previous encounter taking place last month in Canada with goals from forward Brian Shriver and midfielder Darel Russell giving the Rowdies a 2-0 win at TD Place on August 30.

“As always in the NASL, it's a very competitive league and any team that shows up on Saturday and approaches the game in the right manner can take all three points. Our home form has not been to our teams' liking. We need to reward our home fans with a wholehearted performance as we always do, but I'd like to think that we would be able to gain the three points through a proper, concerted effort from our team from the first whistle right through the last." – Rowdies coach Ricky Hill

“We feel good about what we are building. Although the results haven’t gone our way, we know how competitive we have been and we strongly believe we can get a positive result in Tampa. They are a very organized team and very physical. We will have to bring a strong mentality and very high level of competitiveness to succeed in Tampa.” – Fury FC coach Marc Dos Santos

"We were a team today," said Fury FC coach, Marc Dos Santos. "The Ottawa Fury has been working so hard to build this team and to bring these guys together. We feel that in a lot of games we came short, but today we were a team on the field."

The Rowdies’ ultra-offensive lineup pressured Ottawa goalkeeper Romuald Peiser for much of the night, but couldn’t find a way onto the scoresheet. Oliver’s 25th minute goal and Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s stoppage time insurance goal earned all three points for Ottawa.

“At this stage of the season, with the limited number of games that we have (left,) every point is vital,” Rowdies coach Ricky Hill said. “Congratulations to Ottawa. They were very organized and solid in what they wanted to do and they were very disciplined as a team.”

Despite the loss, the Rowdies remain in third place in the NASL Fall Season Standings, level on 16 points with the New York Cosmos, but with a game in hand. The Rowdies are five points behind first-place Minnesota United FC. In the NASL Combined Standings, the Rowdies are one point behind the Carolina RailHawks for fourth place and a spot in The Championship, but have played one fewer match.

Lucky Mkosana entered the starting lineup for the first time since August 2 as Hill fielded a forward-thinking starting XI. Mkosana played down the left wing, opposite Evans Frimpong on the right.

Both sides started the match poorly, but it was the visitors that struck first, with Nicki Paterson serving in a cross from the left wing that found Oliver’s head at the back post. Oliver thundered his header past Pickens and into the net for a 1-0 Fury lead in the 25th minute.

As the half progressed, the Rowdies started to play themselves into the match, with Brian Shriver and Georgi Hristov combining well in the final third. Tampa Bay pressured Romuald Peiser in Ottawa’s net, but the Rowdies were unable to find the equalizer before halftime.

“In the first half, we created a few good looks,” Hill said. “Our conviction in front of goal needs to be a lot better. You can never fault players for missing goals, but you have to believe you’re going to score, first and foremost. That’s half the battle. Tonight, although we huffed and puffed and created a number of looks at the goal, and on another occasion, we warranted more than a goal, it didn’t happen. We have to ensure as a team that we don’t get scored against.”

The second half was more of the same as the Rowdies pushed forward in search of a goal.

In the 50th minute, midfielder Darel Russell slid a pass through Ottawa’s defense, finding Brian Shriver as he looped around an Ottawa defender, but his shot was just wide of net.

Shriver blasted a shot on goal in the 62nd minute, but Peiser made one of his seven saves on the night to preserve Ottawa’s lead.

Ricky Hill adjusted his lineup in the 68th minute, sending Ricardo Morris and Casey Townsend into the match to try and grab the equalizing goal. Those two connected just four minutes later, with Townsend heading a ball down for Morris in front of net, but Morris’ first-time effort rolled wide of Peiser’s left-hand post.

Morris was at the center of the Rowdies attack once again in the 76th minute, feeding Hristov in toward net, but Peiser abandoned his line quickly and scooped the ball up off the penalty spot.

Amani Walker was inserted into Tampa Bay’s attack in the 83rd minute as the Rowdies desperately pushed to salvage a result.